


Love From Out of the Blue

by redlerred7



Category: Lucky Star (Manga)
Genre: F/F, Fainting, Minor Original Character(s), Multi POV, Surprise Kiss, Third Person POV, art commission, excessive description
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-02-19
Updated: 2016-06-02
Packaged: 2018-03-13 18:24:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 13,726
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3391628
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/redlerred7/pseuds/redlerred7
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A prank by Konata backfires and she somehow ends up lips to lips with Misao. Another unexpected development is that she also ends up asking her out. What happens next? Read to find out.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. A kiss from out of the blue

**Author's Note:**

> This story was taken from my FanFiction account under the same name. Bare with me while I try to convert this story for AO3's format
> 
> From FanFiction:  
> This little gem came from one of the drabbles I made in Unrelated Moments. I can't believe I'm starting another big project even though my other four multi-chapter fics are still on-going (granted, I'm close to finishing two of them so no worries)
> 
> Anyway, let's just say this story didn't come from out of the blue, at least not this chapter! Enjoy.

**LUCKY STAR**

As the blue haired otaku stood outside her classroom, in the halls of Ryoo High, she could not help but wonder what exactly possessed her to commission Hiyori to draw Kagami and Misao in a somewhat... compromising situation. She had even given out specific details drawing itself and how it was to be given to her and managed to negotiate a price that was, all together, reasonable for the type of thing the manga artist was going to draw. She paid in full the moment the transaction was made and, after a weekend of waiting, she received the commission.

In her hands, she held a picture, laser-jet printed onto an A4 sized sheet that was then laminated, that depicted a certain Kagami Hiiragi and another Misao Kusakabe doing a certain action - a certain R 18 action - that was considered to be immoral for two girls to be doing, with their faces red with passion and their bodies a covered with sweat, all of which, drawn in vivid and explicit detail.

Konata remembered that she wanted the drawing for a prank she wanted to do to Kagami come Monday. Over the course of the weekend, which brought with it anime, manga, hours upon hours of MMO gaming, and last minute homework cramming, she had forgotten all about said prank.

When Monday finally came around, Hiyori came up to the third floor where Konata's class room was, called out to her, and when she finally walked up and said asked _'what's up?'_ , handed the drawing to her, enclosed in a large red envelope with the letters _NSFW_ stamped on the center and her name written on the corner.

Konata had already forgotten the reason she commission Hiyori, or that she even commissioned her at all. Thus, it came as no surprise that she had felt surprised that she received said envelope from the raven haired girl. Said girl left immediately after delivering her produced content to her customer, looking a few shades of red short before her nose started bleeding – which she was prone to experiencing.

So Konata stood there, dumb founded and completely oblivious as to the contents of the envelope. She knew what the stamp saying NSFW meant so she was sure that opening it there would be a bad idea. But she was nothing if not impulsive. She stood there, rooted in place, staring at the paper sleeve, wondering just what exactly was hidden inside it. Curiosity got the better of her and she eventually opened the envelope and looked at the contents.

She stared at the image a good long while, completely lost in the absolute beauty and seductively thought provoking qualities of the art. Her face felt hot and unreasonably sweaty as she slipped the drawing back into it's wrapping, hoping no one else saw its contents.

_Alright... I'm used to this sort of thing. I've seen a lot of porn. I've read a lot of adult manga. I've played countless dating sims that have sex scenes. It's not that those are any bad, I mean, I've gotten turned on by those things before but... this drawing... this PIECE OF ART... this turns me on... this turns me on A LOT..._

As Konata stood there, lost in thought, someone walked up behind her and tapped her shoulder. She jumped and yelped. "Gaaaah...! Oh... Kagami..." The bluenette calmed down the moment she realized who it was.

"Leaning a bit on the antsy side there, Konata..." Kagami commented, worry heard the fringes of her words. "Anyway, what's that you got there?"

A vase dropped in Konata's mind, shattering into a thousand tiny pieces. That question was a question she was NOT prepared to think about, much less answer. And with her thoughts a tangled hot mess, she wasn't in a position to redirect the topic to somewhere else in her usual witty and graceful way. So, of course, she resorted to her back up plan, something she could always do when faced with a situation involving Kagami.

"It's a secret." She said in as seductive a tone as she could muster. It ended up sounding more cute than anything else but the effects remained the same. Kagami leaned back and blushed.

"W-what...?"

"Anyway, I need to g-"

"Wait, what do you mean 'secret'!?"

Konata turned to walk away both too soon and not soon enough - too soon because Kagami wasn't flustered enough, and not soon enough because the surprise from her words was already fading. Right as she moved to make her great escape, Kagami grabbed her arm, which just so happened to be the arm she was holding the envelope with. Right before Konata managed to switch the hold to her other hand, the twin tailed girl snatched it away, reveling in her small victory with a mocking smile of triumph.

With a regained fervor thanks to the internal panic she felt, Konata struggled out of Kagami's grip and made a run for it. "Don't open that, you're gonna regret it!" She yelled as she sprinted through the hall, not minding the direction as any direction other than Kagami's would be the more favorable one if she was to look at the drawing.

Of course, that would mean Konata would never see the reaction. But she knew the entire set up was wrong - there was no build up; there were no safety measures put in place; just a very detailed, albeit lewd, drawing of Kagami and Misao sharing an intimate moment that never actually happened. A prank spelling disaster – something Konata was not willing to face, at least not alone in a hallway while she was still in a blushing daze.

So she ran, as fast as she could – faster than what most people would consider advisable when moving through school hallways – fast enough to injure someone if she ran into them in the wrong way. But she trusted herself to be able to dodge anything and anyone she was in a collision course with. She was confident in her agility and reflexes. Of course, the moment she rounded the corner, all that was thrown out the window as a certain someone was on the other side – a certain someone who brought the unfortunate drawing back into her mind.

**LUCKY STAR**

Misao Kusakabe, stood in front of the mirror in the girl's restroom as she splashed water on her face.

For the past half hour or so, she had been sleeping. It was during a History lesson, and despite Miss Kuroi's rather enjoyable teaching style, History always made her sleepy – the same way Math always made her want to get her brain bleached so she never had to face such torture again – the same way English classes made her wish that Japanese was the go-to international language instead of the confusing gibberish that was English.

So she rubbed her face, wet with tap water, musing on what she was packed for lunch that day, feeling surprisingly at peace. It was a normal day for her. The classes were still boring, the school bells were still loud enough to wake her up from her naps, and her best friends were still stick-in-the-muds. Especially Kagami.

Kagami. The girl who always scolded her when she was doing anything stupid. The girl who could get her to do her homework regardless of how much she complained. The girl who showed no mercy when they did anything competitively. The girl with twin tails and bright lavender hair, with sparkling blue eyes, with a charming smile, with an even more charming frown. Kagami Hiiragi, the girl whom Misao loved.

_Kagami. Kagami. Kagami._ Misao repeated in her head. _I'm gonna do it. Today is the day I tell her I love her…_ _Today is the day that I will take her off her feet… Today… today is the start of another week where I constantly say that to myself and STILL never do it…_ The brunette sighed. _C'mon, Kusakabe. You're not like this. Say what you want, do what you want! What the hell are you doing!?_

Such thoughts were normal for her. As she said herself, that day was just another day of her repeating exactly what she was saying. It was a normal day. Not so normal, however, was when she exited the rest room.

As Misao entered the hallway, she turned to face a midget, sprinting straight at her at high velocity. Konata Izumi, surprisingly elegant in the way she ran – rhythmic and bouncy yet her form – her technique – was efficient. She was a dart, flying at precision speed towards her target, and from the look on her surprisingly surprised face, her target was Misao herself.

Misao blinked. In the seconds between recognition and collision, Misao and Konata locked eyes. For whatever reason, both of them blushed.

According to Newton's Law of Inertia, objects in motion tended to stay in motion. The two met with a painful thud, crumpled to the floor, and slid back, carried by Konata's momentum. The blue head of hair slammed into Misao's stomach, knocking her off balance and the wind out of her. Misao fell on her butt and started rolling backwards, reflexively holding onto Konata as she did so. For a few meters, the two embraced, until they finally used up all their momentum and slowed to a stop.

Misao took a few seconds to assess what was happening. Konata had ran into her and now they were collapsed on the floor. She was lying on her back and the weight on her chest was probably the midget lying on top of her. She opened her eyes the exact moment that Konata sat up.

"What the hell, Izumi? Don't you know running in the halls isn't allowed?" Misao grumbled as the bluenette got off her and helped her sit up.

"Yeah... and now I can see why..." Konata muttered. "You okay?"

"Fine, no thanks to you..."

The two sat there staring at each other, Misao with an annoyed glare and Konata with an apologetic smile. As the two continued their eye contact, Misao noticed a particularly strange thing. Konata was, once again, blushing at her. A number of reasons came to mind as to why she was doing this, most probably that she was thinking something perverted – Kagami had told countless tales about what lewd topics the otaku was familiar with. They were never in full detail but Misao could fill in the blanks.

Before the fanged girl could call Konata out on it, Kagami's voice resounded from around the corner and Konata's face changed to that of a frightened panic. Misao knew immediately what happened and felt both amused at the midget and at the same time, sorry. Whatever prank she had pulled, Kagami was very very pissed.

"Kusakabe, help me." Konata said quickly. "Please..."

"You think I _can_ help? This is _angry_ Hiiragi we're talking about here. You seriously think I can do anything about it?"

"Yes." Konata took Misao's hands and put them on her shoulders. Then, she lied down, pulling Misao on top of her. Then, she wrapped her own arms behind Misao's neck. "No time to explain"

"Wha-?"

"Pucker up!"

What happened next surprised Misao more than she could explain. Konata had pulled her into a kiss – a particularly wet one as Misao's face was still a bit damp from splashing her face earlier – and it brought with it a mix of sensations – possibly the most bizarre blend she had ever experienced. Konata's shoulders felt small – almost frailly so. She could feel the bone under her fingers. They were like a child's, and yet she knew they weren't. Konata's hands were gentle, even as the they slid from behind her neck, around to her cheeks, and down to her chest. They were like a seamstress', precise and fluid. Konata's smell, was faint yet distinct. A particularly strange aroma of sweat, paper, and dust, not unlike an old library's. And most of all, Konata's lips were soft and unexpectedly sweet – they tasted like chocolate.

Misao was lost in her senses the moment their lips touched. Little did she know that Kagami was standing right behind her, staring at the scene with a look of confusion and profound embarrassment.

"I… I'll leave you two to yourselves..." She muttered as she slowly walked away.

The kiss lasted a few more seconds before Misao regained her wits and pulled away.

"WHAT THE HELL, IZUMI!?" She yelled, then followed with a hiss as she stood and picked Konata up by the collar. "That was my first kiss…!"

Konata was still visibly shaken by the lip-to-lip contact and simply stared a Misao, face flushed enough for even Misao to feel. "It was my first kiss too..." She said wistfully.

"That's beside the point, shorty." The Brunette sighed, lowering Konata back on the ground. "Isn't kissing something only people who are dating are supposed to do?"

As Konata slowly regained her senses, she began walking away. But her thoughts weren't completely in order yet. Something embarrassing slipped out. "Then maybe we should start dating?" Konata realized what she said a little too late. Looking back, she saw the face of shock brandished by Misao and cursed herself. "Hey, just a suggestion. I'm up for it, you know?" She added awkwardly.

Hoping not to make the scene any worse, Konata made her escape. "Anyway, bye"

Misao just stood there, dumb founded and not entirely sure how to respond. Up until the bell rang and snapped her out of her daze, she stood rooted to the spot. Of course, when the end of the lunch period came, she stomped her foot in frustration upon realizing: She was not able to eat her lunch.

**LUCKY STAR**


	2. Fainting with the folks

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Konata, Misao, and Kagami take a night to react to the events of the previous chapter

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> More Fanfiction specific end notes. sorry
> 
> Here's the second chapter, up five days after the first one. Don't expect every chapter to come out this quickly, though. Sometimes inspiration just comes out of the blue (I will use that figure of speech as many times as I can for this fic) Anyway, here it is. Enjoy if you can and if you can't, I apologize.

 

**LUCKY STAR**

It was dinner time at the Kusakabe residence. The family was seated around the table, with Grandpa and Grandma Kusakabe at one side of the tables length and Misao and her brother, Masaru, sitting at the other side.

On the table was a platter of steamed fish and vegetables piled high enough to feed a family of ten – nearly double the number of those currently seated. Usually, this isn't a problem as a certain teenaged girl was more than capable of eating three people's worth of food. However, in a very disconcerting change from the norm, Misao did not have an appetite.

So the three ate in uncomfortable silence as Misao chewed – she had been chewing mouthfuls for three minutes at a time, which is a huge difference to the way she normally ate. She had been compared to a shredder or garbage disposal on several occasions. The way she was eating that night was far from comparable. They looked at the girl with and no shortage of worry. Perhaps she was sick? Depressed? Nobody could tell.

Of course, all of that flew over Misao's head. She was too lost in her own thoughts to even notice the stares by her family members.

_That midget… Konata Izumi… That stupid midget, she's making me feel weird._ She frowned. _Don't tell me... Am I falling for her too…?_ The tilted her head to the side with hmmm. _Well… That kiss felt pretty good. I can still taste the chocolate. And when she was lying on top of me, she felt really light. And the way she ran was just beautiful. And-_ She shook her head. _Fuck, I AM falling for her. Man, this sucks! I'm already got the hots for Hiiragi. Now even the midget? Dammitdammitdammit! Those two are always together! I'm gonna end up feeling more miserable about that than ever!_ She lowered her head and sighed. _Uhhhhhhg, if only she didn't prank Kagami then this wouldn't have happened. What did she do to get Kagami so pissed anyway? Come to think of it, she managed to get Kagami off her back by kissing me. What's up with that? Why'd that happen? And what was the deal with her blushing when she looked at me right as she ran into me?_ She clenched her teeth as she fell her cheeks heat up slightly. _And she looked pretty cute, too..._

"Ahh, stupid fucking midget!" Misao grumbled

"Misao, you're at the table. Mind you manners" The grandfather said sternly. "And what's this about a midget"

Misao blinked. "What?"

The boy beside her sighed. Masaru put his hand on her shoulder. "Misao, we're here eating dinner, and unlike what you normally do, you're starring blankly at that piece of carrot on your plate instead of devouring it. And then, from out of the blue, you mutter something about a midget" She stated plainly. "You're acting weird and we don't like it. Is something up?"

Misao thought for a bit before replying. "Well, I had my first kiss sorta stolen from me by this midget" She said with a bluntness that could knock someone out. It was surprising to say the least.

"Oh that's wonderful!" Grandma cheered. "It's nice to know you're finally taking an interest in romance"

"Don't get ahead of yourself" Grandpa said gruffly. Then, turning back to Misao, he asked. "You said it was stolen? Who is this boy?"

Misao shrugged. "It was technically stolen, but I'm okay with it. It's just a kiss, no big deal" She said. Which was, in her eyes, true. A kiss may be something intimate to share with someone but it wasn't the end of the world if someone kissed her from out of the blue. Speaking of blue. "Oh, and it was a girl"

A look of horror appeared on the elderly couple's faces. Masaru was similarly shocked. This reaction did not make Misao happy at all. Rather, it made her a bit ashamed. What was so wrong about kissing a girl? Well, it's not really something people saw as normal, she understood that, but it wasn't bad, at least not in her eyes. _So what_ if it was a girl? It didn't really matter.

"Misao…" Masaru put his other hand on her other shoulder, an awkward wince on his face. "…Misao, a girl kissed you…"

"Yeah…"

"You're okay with that…?"

"Yeah…"

"You're sure…?"

With every answer, Masaru's expression grew more and more pained. Similarly, the grandparents grew more and more horrified. It was as if she were renouncing her family and making an oath to become some sort of NEET with the way they we're reacting.

Misao frowned. "Why is it such a big deal if it were a girl? I've had a crush on Kagami for years now"

The grandmother gasped. "She still hasn't gotten over it..." She lost consciousness shortly after, falling back into her seat.

"What's your deal!? Why do you make it sound like being gay is a bad thing!?"

The Grandpa's face was furious as he stood up. He opened his mouth, no doubt to lecture the girl on his beliefs. Masaru acted quickly and stopped him before he could do anything he might regret. "Gramps!" His voice was a knife, cutting the man off. "Sit down, old man. Let me handle this" The elderly man glared at the boy. Masaru stood his ground and didn't backdown, keeping eye contact the entire time. With a slow shake of his head, Grandpa sat down, muttering to himself. Masaru sighed and looked back at Misao.

Misao looked back with a thankful smile. "Thanks for-"

"Yeah, whatever." Masaru cut off. Then he got right down to business. "About the kiss… you're okay with her kissing you?"

"Yes"

"Why? Do you like her or something?"

"Uh…" Misao's mind flashed back to the kiss – the softness of Konata's lips, the gentle way her hands slid down her cheeks, her blushing face as they collided. She couldn't help but blush. "M-maybe… I'm not sure…"

" _Please._ Sit down." Grandpa made another move to say something but Masaru stopped him once more. "Misao… Are you a lesbian…?"

"I… I don't know… probably?"

Masaru sighed and turned back to his grandfather. "Okay, so she's unsure. You still have hope, grandpa. Hold on to that." He said dryly. "For now, just give Misao some room to grow. Who knows, she might end up with a guy in the far future. Just don't go attacking her if she ends up dating a girl." He turned to Misao. "As for you, do what you want. Just don't do anything rash. I mean, _seriously._ Do NOT do anything rash. I've got enough responsibilities with Mom and Dad overseas. Keeping your ass out of trouble shouldn't be one of them"

"Huh… Gotcha…" Misao nodded thoughfully.

_So… I guess they're at least okay with me liking girls… sorta. That makes one problem solved that I never knew I had. My only problem now is Izumi… Konata Izumi… Konata… Why does saying her name in my head make me feel so light? Like… it isn't this was with Hiiragi… Kagami Hiiragi… Kagami… Okay nevermind, it's the same feeling. I've fallen for her…_

"Hey, guys… Would it be alright if I start dating someone?"

Grandpa leaned forward. "Is it a guy?"

"Gramps…" Masaru said sternly

"You said I could hope. This is me hoping"

Misao coughed and got their attention. "It's a girl. Konata Izumi"

"That's it, I'm full now. Excuse me" Grandpa stood up, taking his plate with him. "Masaru, deal with your Grandmother when she wakes up."

"She's _your_ wife, old man!" Masaru sighed. "I'm done as well. Misao, like I said, do what you want. Go out with her, kiss her, fuck her, whatever. Just keep out of trouble." He walked away.

"Hmmm..." Misao looked back down at the food that was on the table… "Well, no use letting this go to waste..."

So the fanged girl started eating. As for Grandma… she was still out cold.

**LUCKY STAR**

Dinner at the Izumi household could be described as lively that night. An apt description, but not entirely true, at least not that night. While there was certainly celebration, Konata Izumi was not in high spirits. As Soujiro and Yutaka happily chatted as they ate their meal, Konata kept silent.

_Okay. So, I probably severely scarred Kagami with that drawing and it will take a long time for her to recover. Most likely, she also saw me kiss Kusakabe, which probably made it worse._ Konata pouted. _Speaking of Kusakabe, her lips were wet, her cheeks were soft, and when I went down for a grope, her boobs were surprisingly big. I asked her out on impulse, which I never intended to do, but now that I think about it, what do I have to lose? She's annoying and stupid, but she's hot and it didn't seem like she was disgusted at the thought of dating girls. She could probably even help me with teasing Kagami._ She tilted her head to the side. _I could tell since day one that she's had a crush on her. If we end up together, she may have a chance with Kagami. If I play my cards right, Kusakabe might be able to…_ Konata frowned. _Why am I thinking this? Trying to help my rival in love get with the person we both love? WHAT IS THIS MADNESS? But in all seriousness, what IS the cause for me to think that? Why do I suddenly want to see Misao Kusakabe happily together with Kagami Hiiragi? I don't know and I am not in a very good emotional state right now to find out…_

Konata blinked as she slowly drifted out of her daze. Looking around, she saw Yutaka and Sojiro staring at her with concern – completely justified considering that she had been staring into space for a good long while. Of course, Konata didn't notice the passage of time and was confused by the worried eyes aimed at her. She frowned and voiced her puzzlement at the staring.

"So… how long was I out?" She asked as she took a sip of her soup. "That you two already stopped talking means it was probably a long time."

"Eh…" Sojiro scratched his head. The look on his face was not so much worry as it was well veiled panic. Konata could see right through it, and Sojiro knew that. Of course, he kept the act up for Yutaka, no need for anyone else to be as worried as he was. "Probably five entire minutes? Maybe more?" He answered.

Konata nodded solemnly.

That's pretty long considering… Dad must be worried out of his mind at this point. I know how much he wants to keep me happy. My being all emo and broody and stuff is probably driving him nuts. I'd better just tell him about it.

"Sorry bout' that. My mind was sort of thinking about something that happened earlier." Konata said with an apologetic smile. "Speaking of something that happened earlier, I'd like to talk to you about the purest form of love"

"True love?" Yutaka asked with wonder in her voice.

"Yuri love!?" Sojiro asked with even more wonder and an equal amount of perversion, if not more so.

Yutaka turned towards Sojiro and tilted her head curiously "Yuri love?" The redhead asked.

Konata snapped her fingers and pointed at her father. "Bull's-eye, dad. Love between girls" In her mind the bluenette couldn't help but sigh at Yutaka's innocence. Few things were as sobering as a veritable angel of childlike purity asking about things that were considered immoral of forbidden. Then again, looking at the awed face the shorter girl was displaying made for a certain satisfaction within the otaku.

_Yutaka seems open to the thought of it. That crush she has on Minami might be the cause._ Konata smiled. _Okay then, objectives set. One: Get Kusakabe and Kagami together. Two: Get Yutaka and Minami to hook up. Start mission._

Konata sighed. "Alright. Here's what happened…"

**LUCKY STAR**

Kagami sat cross legged on her bed, finding a surprising amount of comfort in the pillow and blanket she had laid on her lap. She had been sitting like that for well over two hours – since the end of dinner – and her pajama bottoms were soaked with seat from keeping them under said pillow and blanket. However, she did not notice this. She was far too lost in thought to notice. So she sat there, with sweaty pajamas and things much too stressful for her to think about. She didn't move, didn't speak, and didn't blink. Of course, blinking would require her eye to be open first, and doing that was the last thing she wanted to do because in her hands was the very reason she had been so lost in thought in the first place.

_This drawing…_ She thought as she slid her hands over the laminated paper. Even as she did so, she could feel the blood rushing up to her cheeks. _Where did you get this, Konata? Where, how, and WHY?_

It was a strange feeling to know that there was porn of her. She wasn't sure how many of those drawings Konata had, nor did she know where the otaku had gotten hold of them. Frankly, it felt very creepy, considering Konata was supposed to be her friend. She trusted her. She had trusted her and yet Konata had pulled this stunt – possibly the most trust straining thing the bluenette had ever done. Would she still be able to trust her after this whole incident blows over? She didn't know. And, quite frankly, she didn't want to think about it.

_But I can't help it._ She thought, opening her eyes. She looked at the picture and again her heart started pumping. She had looked at the picture several times that evening already and still the drawing left her hot and considerable confused. _This drawing it's just… it's beautiful. No matter how erotic it looks, I can't just call this porn and be done with it. It's more than that, and whatever Konata had planned using this for, she must have invested a lot for this._ She frowned. _And are my breasts really that small…?_

Of course, she couldn't ignore the _other_ thing depicted in the drawing – rather, the other _person_. Intertwined with Kagami was Misao Kusakabe. This left the twin tailed girl in a rather puzzled state.

_Why Misao, though? Of all the girls to pair me with, why the person you've barely interacted with since you met them? You've expressed your dislike of her before. Maybe it wasn't much – you were just annoyed by her – but you definitely disliked her… So why'd you pick Misao…?_

And thoughts of the fanged girl eventually led to the scene that caused the most confusion out of this entire spiel. That kiss came from out of the blue. It made no sense and, more importantly, it made Kagami strangely… disgusted? Disturbed...? Perhaps even ealous?

_Disgusted? So it's two girls kissing. So what? Disturbed? Well, I'm certainly shocked. Seeing two of my friends suddenly kissing right in front of me would shock anyone? Jealous…? Am I jealous…? Did I want to kiss Konata…? Kiss Misao…? I don't even know. But that's the only way I can describe these feelings… And I still feel them. The envy… Its eating me from inside… I don't like it…_

She flipped the drawing over, not being able to take looking at it any longer, knowing full well that she'd end up looking at it again in a few minutes.

**LUCKY STAR**

Yutaka awoke with no shortage of pep. After hearing her cousins exploits the previous night, a fire awoke inside the red head that could only be doused by the girl she held feeling for. Yes, the tale of two girls who shared a kiss had led to Yutaka's conclusion that she too harbored the same desire for intimacy. And the desire extended to a certain mint haired girl.

So Yutaka stood in front of her house that morning, happily awaiting her sister to arrive and take her to school. She was giddy with excitement, as she knew what she wanted to do with her feelings now that she finally realized what they were. She was going to ask Minami Iwasaki to be her girlfriend – or that _she_ would become Minami's girl friend – it didn't really matter to her.

Of course, when the blue minivan rounded the corner and screeched to a stop, mere inches before it hit Yutaka, she remembered that she had one obstacle to face before she could enact her plan. It was one of the challenges she had to face daily and it was something she doubted would ever get easier for her.

Yui had arrived to bring her to school. Yutaka had to endure her sister's driving before she could ask Minami out. The red head paled.

_Oh dear…_

**LUCKY STAR**

Hiyori sat at her desk, completely devoid of energy. She had slaved over Konata's drawing for well over two days and even after twenty four hours of rest, she still felt burnt out. Holding her pen felt unbelievably painful and trying to drag it across her notebook made her hand ache more than she ever thought possible. Taking down notes the previous day had been an agonizing experience and, because of that, she dreaded what the current day had to offer.

That said, she was grateful when Yutaka Kobayakawa finally arrived. Seeing the red head interact with her friend, Minami Iwasaki reinvigorated manga artist. To her eyes, those two were the epitome of love between girls, something people could say she was rather obsessed with – the same way she was obsessed with love between guys; and love between relatives. Really, any form of forbidden love appealed to her greatly. Except love between different species. She drew the line at cat girls and the like. Any further was a big no for her.

But yes, she absolutely adored the aura of love Yutaka and Minami exuded when they were together. It took only them standing next to each other for her to be sufficiently energized. She wasn't even sure if the two were really even yuri but it didn't matter. It was fantastic. Even more fantastic was what she heard when she approached the two, hoping to feel their presence up close.

"Hey, Minami" Yutaka said meekly. "I really like you"

Hiyori stopped in mid stride and consequently fell sideways because of her unbalanced posture. Did she really just hear that? Did she really just hear a confession of a girl to another girl – her friends no less? No. Impossible. She must have just misheard it right? But no. She saw Yutaka's lips. There was no doubt. It was a declaration of love.

Hiyori passed out shortly after.

**LUCKY STAR**

During the entire school day, Kagami didn't bring up what happened yesterday with Misao. Nor did she speak with the said brunette. She was in no state to talk about what she had seen nor did she have any desire to bring said topic up. That's not to say that she didn't want to address it. She wanted to resolve things with the three of them eventually. Her problem is that she was still very much confused. Very little could be done about it so she chose not to do anything.

Thus, when lunch rolled around, Kagami's short goodbye as she left for classroom 3-B was met with a request. Misao Kusakabe, asking to accompany her to be exact. Confusion at said request aside, she saw no reason no to let her join in. True, she was very much skeptical at the brunette's reason for going with her, or rather, her lack of a reason. In Kagami's eyes "no reason" was more suspicious than saying "it's none of your business". The former may have been more polite than the latter, but considering Misao's track record for things she had done for _no reason_ , Kagami had a lot to be concerned about

For one, Misao had once replaced every single sock in her drawer with socks that were one size smaller for _no reason_. She had been thinking for weeks that Matsuri had kept her socks in the dryer for too long and blamed it on her. For another, Misao had once removed the spirals from Kagami's notebooks and shuffled all pages together before re-threading the spirals back into them – again for _no reason_. Imagine Kagami's surprise when one page in her history notebook suddenly had English notes, and the next had her science homework. It was like some sort of cruel and unusual form of toture.

That said, it wasn't unreasonable for Kagami to be suspicious. Of course, her suspicions turned out to be true as the moment she and Misao entered Konata's classroom, the brunette made a beeline for the otaku.

"Izumi, go out with me." Misao said bluntly, surprising everyone who was within earshot. And with the usual decibel levels of Misao's voice, _everyone_ was within earshot.

Kagami's jaw dropped. What did she just say? She seriously said that? Why? She didn't know. All she did know is that suddenly her head was spinning and her heart was sinking.

"No fair, I wanted to be the one who asked you!" Konata replied in an equally loud voice, surprising even more of those within earshot.

That was when Kagami lost it. Her head stopped spinning and the world took its place as the twin tailed girl fell backwards onto the floor.

**LUCKY STAR**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> More Fanfiction specific end note. Again, I appologize
> 
> When I tried to upload this chapter, FFdotNet was down. There was no notice of why or when it would be up again. It was a really stressful experience. Looking back, it was stupid worrying about it. I'm just glad that it's up again.
> 
> There's a lot of fainting in this chapter, if you've noticed. Also, the set up is very similar to Coinciding moments, isn't it? Right down to the day one incident that causes a domino effect with all the characters. It's even got the same amount of words as chapter one of the mentioned fic… well, before I re-wrote it, at least…
> 
> Anyway, about my three OCs - Misao's family. They're actually carried over from Coinciding Moments, only slightly tweaked. Masaru is the same jerk he always was in my other story, but I put him in better light in this fic, or at least I try to. As for the grandparents, I only fleshed them out in this story. In CM, they were just voices telling Masaru and Misao that dinner was ready. Don't worry, the OCs won't get that much screen time if I can help it.
> 
> Well, that was chapter two. See you next chapter


	3. Plans backfire

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fueled by the events of the previous chapter, Yutaka, Konata, and Misao tried to get together with their desired target. Well, those attempts backfired

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> More FF specific end notes. By next chapter you won't see these anymore
> 
> Happy Overpriced Chocolate Day everyone! Or Valentines Day, if you want to be mainstream.
> 
> Here you go, an update to this story, coinciding with Coinciding Moments' update. Ain't that swell? Well, in this chapter we have back firing plans. I hope you enjoy if you can - if you can't, sorry

**LUCKY STAR**

Minami was presented with a problem that morning. It was a problem that was not inherently bad, nor was it inconvenient in any form. Rather, it was a problem in that it left her unexpectedly open, or at least it felt like that.

Earlier, before homeroom started, a certain Yutaka Kobayakawa approached her as she would normally do. And then, from out of the blue, the girl confesses her love to none other than Minami herself.

This would not normally have been a problem. Minami would be lying if she said she didn't love Yutaka as well – she felt quite strongly about the red head and she cared very much for the shorter girl. However, her love was not of the romantic kind, or so she believes. Her love was platonic. And while she was completely fine with knowing that Yutaka had romantic attraction to herself and was willing to indulge the girl with her request for a date, a certain loyalty kept her from doing so.

Minami had a prior agreement, you see – a pre-established relationship. When it started, it wasn't quite as passionate as Yutaka's heartfelt confession was. Rather, it was a slow burn that grew brighter over time. Minami and her current partner had been together for a very long time and she was keen on keeping that bond as strong as she could.

With that said, Minami was put on the spot. Yutaka was a close friend – a _very_ close friend. The only other person to have earned the same level of trust and affection from Minami was Miyuki Takara, and they had been next door neighbors since they were kindergarteners. She considered Yutaka to be a very important person in her life, being one of the few people who could read her – or even tried for that matter. She did not want to hurt the feelings of such a close friend. What was she to do? She knew all too well that she could and would not lie to her, but she wasn't willing to tell the truth either.

That was her dilemma. A dilemma that she never prepared for. She was left confused and panicked. Her mind was racing with no brakes and steering wheel – she would crash into her answer in any second and she couldn't stop herself. Whatever answer she chose, she knew it was going to be messy.

Of course, Hiyori saved the day when she suddenly dropped face flat on the floor right in front of us, with a pool of blood slowly growing on the floor. It wasn't anything knew for either Yutaka or Minami but it was enough to get the red head's attention and enough to snap Minami out of her daze. Within minutes, the two of them had carried Hiyori to the nurse's offices and returned to the classroom.

They had arrived just in time for homeroom to start. With that, Minami was greatful. Hoowever, as class went on for that day, the entire confession was sitting at the back of her mind. She'd have to address it eventually. She did not really want to.

So, when the lunch bells rang, a tense feeling formed inside Minami's stomach. She was still not ready to deal with Yutaka, nor was Hiyori there to save her with another terrible nose bleed. She had to face Yutaka alone. Never in her life did she ever think a four foot red head would make her scared...

**LUCKY STAR**

Konata and Misao had more or less announced to the public that they would be dating. Unsurprisingly, Kagami did not take the news well. Tsukasa was completely confused by the entire situation. And Miyuki? She just sat there and watched.

She watched the scene play out as it happened. Tsukasa and Konata had been talking animatedly about food when the door slid open. Konata perked up and turned towards the door. Kagami and Misao entered, with Misao making a beeline for the bluenette. There was a loud exchange of words on the topic of dating and suddenly Kagami went limp and fell to the floor. Both the brunette and bluenette stood there all wide eyed, like kids who broke the family heirloom, and stared at her for ten entire seconds before they did anything, as if looking hard enough at the collapsed girl would make her disappear. Of course she didn't disappear. When the reality of what happened finally caught up to them, they were suddenly panicking.

Miyuki sighed, bemused by the incoherent babbling of the two now-girlfriends as they knelt in front of the unconscious girl. _I suppose this is to be expected. Never a dull moment at school when Konata is with us._

With a quiet *ahem*, the pinkette gained the attention of the two. "If I may make a suggestion, we should get her to the nurse's office" She said, pushing her glasses up. "You're creating a scene. It is a bit embarrassing…"

**LUCKY STAR**

Yutaka and Minami at in silence. It was not what Yutaka thought would happen.

She didn't exactly expect Minami to return her feelings and whisk her off on a magic unicorn with butterfly wings towards their castle of love and rainbows – not that the thought never crossed her mind, she had actually dreamed that exact scenario the previous night – but she at least expected a reaction. Instead, Minami pretended she had never confessed.

It wasn't a bad thing, but it wasn't a good thing either. She had just put her heart out in the open and everyone within a few meters had heard – they were pretty supportive. but their support was not what she was aiming to get when she confessed. She wanted to know Minami's stand on it. Even if it was a no, she just wanted her feelings acknowledged.

Yutaka popped the mouthful of rice into her mouth. _Maybe I'm going about this the wrong way? Maybe Minami's just really happy by my confession that she doesn't have anything to say? Maybe she has a lot she wants to tell me but just doesn't have the heart? So she's putting it off?_ She chewed thoughtfully. _I just can't read her today. Which is weird. I'm normally able to see the subtle signs she shows me… I wonder why she's closing herself off from me?_ The red head frowned as she played around with the rice in her lunch box. _Oh dear. What if I made her feel uncomfortable? I didn't mean to do that… I really should have thought this through more… When Konata told me to make my move, she made it sound so simple. I never thought it would get so complicated so early in the plan…_

"Minami…"

Minami stared at the red head for a few seconds, chewing the entire time. She maintained eye contact as she swallowed. Then she closed her eyes and inhaled deeply. Keeping it in for a few seconds, she exhaled and opened her eyes. Only then did she respond. "Yes?"

"A-about earlier…" Yutaka stuttered. They had locked eyes as the mint haired girl ate and the mere sight of it made Yutaka uncomfortably hot for some reason. "I said I liked you… I'd… I'd like to know if you like me too…"

_There… I said it… I hope she answers…_

Minami closed her eyes once more and sighed. "Don't take it the wrong way. I _do_ like you…" She said.

Yutaka leaned forward on her seat. _She likes me…_ Her heart skipped a beat upon hearing those words. But she knew that wouldn't be everything. Starting her answer with _don't take it the wrong way_ meant that there would always be a follow up.

"I like you… as a friend…"

"Oh…" Yutaka was crest fallen. She was prepared for the _no_ that she had chances of getting but actually getting it felt more painful than she had expected. Of course, she wasn't one to let hurt emotions get in the way of friendship. "So… we can still be friends after this…?"

Minami nodded curtly.

"A-and… And can I still like you? Because I really like you…"

Minami tilted her head curiously and thought for a bit. After a few seconds, her answer came. "You can't help how you feel so I don't see why not…"

The feeling was bittersweet. Sure, she still retained the relationship she currently had with Minami, but she did not get what she wanted. She felt a bit spoiled when she considered the thought. She already got a good ending, yet she was still complaining. She should just be grateful for what she got.

"Thank you, Minami…" Her voice was small, but it was sincere.

Minami blinked and indulged her a small smile. She ruffled the red head's hair before returning to her meal.

**LUCKY STAR**

Konata sat in the silence of the nurse's office, feeling unpleasantly guilty. Not that she's ever experienced pleasant guilt. It was a bit of an oxymoron now that she thought about it. Feeling _good_ about a mental reflex designed to make one feel _bad_. It was as backwards as hentai logic.

_Speaing of hentai, what ever happened to that drawing I commissioned for Hiyori? Last I saw it, it was with Kagami. Don't tell me she ended up taking it home with her…_

Even as she thoughht this, Kagami layed on the bed, face still a mask of her earlier look of shock and horror. She was sleeping soundly enough, though. That was a bit of a relief to Konata considering she was one of the reasons she was in the nurse's office I the first place. Very few things could be said about what happened to put her in the infirmiry bed she was lying on other than that Konata and Misao were a part of it.

_Sheesh, I didn't expect her to actually faint. Maybe a blush, a yell, a smack on the head at worst. But not Kagami just up and passing out… I mean… Holy Haruhi this ended up so much worse than I had planned…_

She felt a hand on her shoulder and saw Misao smiling at her. "Izumi, let's start dating"

Konata's jaw dropped. Unbelievable. What the brunette had just said was unbelievable. Of all the times to continue their earlier conversation, she decided to do it while Kagami was unconscious on the bed right next to them.

She took the hand on her shoulder and steadily lifted it off. "Kusakabe, this is not the time or the place…" She said slowly as she moved the hand and pressed it into Misao's chest.

Misao frowned and put her other hand on the hand Konata was pressing onto her chest. "What are you talking about? This is the perfect time."

"Really now? Care to explain why?"

"Because Hiiragi's asleep. I wanna tell you something I'm not comfortable telling her."

"Uh huh..."

The explanation was not convincing but Konata felt weirdly curious. Curious enough to possibly humor the fanged girl. Was she willing to listen to what Misao wanted to say behind Kagami's back? Granted, as much as she'd love to prank Misao and tell Kagami anyway, she wouldn't be able to do it. She had more integrity than that – or at least she thought so. Misao was going to tell her something that she didn't trust to tell Kagami. It wasn't a pleasant feeling knowing that she was willing to tell her than she was with Kagami. Misao was supposed to be in love with Kagami. So what's up?

"Okay then, spill it. What do you want to say."

"I think I'm falling for you"

Konata blinked, speechless and blushing. _Well… This throws a wrench into my plans…_ Konata thought. _But I can see why she doesn't want Kagami to hear this. She' probably faint again…_

"… Okay… You surprised me, congrats…" Konata said slowly as she pulled her own hand out of Misao's hands. "But what about Kagami…?"

"That's what I wanted to talk to you about. I like Hiiragi too. I'm getting really really confused right now all because of that stupid kiss you gave me yesterday…"

The awkward silence that followed was not unexpected. Misao was probably waiting on Konata's reply but the problem was, she had no idea what to say. She's smitten and confused. That's been established. What was Konata supposed to say though? She herself was in a similar situation and it wasn't like she had a solution she could just pull from out of the ether. This wasn't a dating sim. Choices of what to say wouldn't show up in a dialogue box in front of her face – she'd have such an easier time if it did – and she couldn't just reload a save if she made a mistak – and thinking back, she had seen enough anime to know resetting was _not_ a good idea even if she could do it.

Fortunately – or unfortunately, depending on how you look at it – Kagami began waking up. Konata was thankful for that since she didn't have a response yet and doubted she'd manage to make one any time soon. Of course, she still wanted to address the situation. One way or another, it'd have to be resolved. Kagami's waking was just delaying it.

"We can talk about this later… maybe Friday?"

Misao stared at her. "Wait, are you… are you asking me on a date?"

"I guess you could say that."

**LUCKY STAR**

Kagami's not so fitful slumber was ended when she heard voices hovering over her – familiar voices. They were Konata and Misao, that much she could discern, but whatever they were saying, she was too sleepy to understand. She realized she was lying down. Whose bed was this? Why was the cushions so hard? Well, it wasn't her own bed, that's for sure. The room they were in was too cold to be her room. So where was she?

_Wait, I remember Konata and Misao and… dating… I fainted didn't I? I must be in the nurse's office_ …

Ask the twin tailed girl regained her wits, the conversation slowly became more coherent. She was beginning to understand what they were saying. She did not like what she was hearing. She sat up as fast as she could, leading to a headache. It was a bad move, but she had to do something

"Whoa, easy there, Hiiragi."

Kagami grumbled. "What's this about dating?" Pain suddenly flashed in her head the moment she brought up the topic. "Never mind, I don't wanna know anymore. What time is it…?"

That exact moment, the school bell rang, signaling the end of lunch.

Misao sighed. "That's _two_ days that I wasn't able to eat my lunch..."

**LUCKY STAR**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disregard any mention of Coinciding Moments unless I have that story up on my profile already
> 
> If you think this chapter went down hill when it comes to quality, then you're not the only one. I sorta lost motivation to finish this story right as I started Kagami's section. A shame isn't it? I could have delayed it for a few days so I could get it done but I don't really feel like it'd make much of a difference. I'll try better next time.
> 
> Anyway, that was the newest chapter. I hope you like it. And wow, the similarities to Coinciding Moments are making me cringe. I need to steer this a different direction. Next chapter will (probably) be the date. Till then, bye


	4. Time to reconsider

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After the events of last chapter, the characters decide to take a breather and reassess the situation

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello readers! A new chapter for this one and I'm fairly happy with it. Enjoy if you can and if you can't I'm sorry.
> 
> PS, this marks the first chapter to be simultaneously posted on both FF and AO3. Yay me.

**LUCKY STAR**

The Iwasaki estate was quiet when Minami got home – as it normally was. Very few people were ever in the house at any given time, and even then, they weren't very talkative. That said, Minami was very much used to the silence that permeated the house. It was a very calming environment. And with the hustle and bustle of the commute to and from school – and even school itself – she welcomed the silence with open arms and open ears.

Of course, she wasn't necessarily the only person in the house. Her mother, Honoka, was likely around somewhere within the premises, doing whatever duty she saw fit to do, be it chores, work, or playing around. Minami would just have to find her later since, as was earlier stated, the house was as good as empty. Even as Minami kept her eyes open on her way to her room, her mother was nowhere to be seen.

Opening the door, mild surprise appeared in Minami's eyes – brows raised; eyes widened; all in a split second. The lights were turned off in favor to the deep orange rays on the sun entering from the window. Miyuki sat quietly on Minami's bed, hands clasped together on her lap, looking ever refined. Her hair, normally pink, turned a beautiful shade of magenta in the subdued lighting of the room. She was wearing a pale blue dress, similarly enriched by the lighting.

"Good afternoon, Minami" Miyuki greeted.

Minami nodded and closed the door behind her.

As the mint haired girl changed out of her school uniform, Miyuki struck up a conversation. "So, was your day eventful and would you like to talk about it?"

Minami thought for a bit. A number of topics came to mind but at present, she was not prepared to talk about them quite yet. She needed a few more minutes to get ready. Thus, she simply nodded at Miyuki and said "you first."

Miyuki smiled kindly and began a brief summary of her day. For the most part, it was the same thing as yesterday, which Minami expected, up until she began talking about lunch time.

"… and suddenly, Misao Kusakabe entered our classroom." Miyuki narrated. "I believe you know her?"

Minami nodded. Misao Kusakabe was a girl from the track team whom Minami had seen at the nurse's office a lot while working as the nurse's aid, normally carrying an injured track member. She was energetic and fairly straight forward. That was about the most she could discern from her observations and limited interactions with the brunette.

"Well, Kusakabe is Kagami's classmate and entered around the same time Kagami entered. The moment she did so, she asked Konata out."

Minami blinked. The story felt familiar. Too familiar.

"That was when Konata countered saying that _she_ wanted to be the one who asked first. Of course, they started arguing, which I had to cut short because Kagami fainted not long after. The two of them brought her to the nurse's office and didn't return until a few minutes after lunch ended."

Minami nodded, finally finished in changing into casual clothes. A purple button up and black shorts.

"May I tell you about my day now?" Minami asked quietly.

"Certainly."

"Yutaka asked me out." Minami said flatly.

"I… okay…? What did you say?"

"I said no…"

In that moment, there was a pause. An uncomfortable silence that lasted no longer than a heart beat. Yet the heart beat seemed to last of an eternity – or at least it did to Minami. And even when the silence was broken, time still seemed askew.

"Why?" Miyuki asked. Minami saw the pinkette's brows furrow in confusion and her lips curve into a frown, all in strangely agonizing slow motion.

Minami did not answer immediately. She couldn't breathe. For whatever reason, the air was becoming thinner as the clock ticked forward. She could feel the tension – in the air, around the room, even in her very body. It was like the very atoms that comprised her were being pulled apart, resulting in a catastrophic nuclear explosion the moment she opened her mouth.

Of course, eventually she did answer. No sort of apocalyptic trigger occurred. All the paranoid flashes to possible dystopian futures were probably just because of Minami's anxiety… right?

"It was because I had you…" Minami answered quietly.

"Me…" Miyuki said. She removed her glasses and rubbed the bridge of her nose. "Minami, you said yourself that you have feelings for Yutaka as well, correct? I remember the day you told me"

"I… well…"

Minami was caught in a jam of sorts. Her feelings for Yutaka were indeed of love, but as was established, those feelings were platonic. Not romantic in any way she could describe. Not that she could accurately describe the feeling of romantic love in any case. She had not experienced it and doubted her understanding of it, which she had gained from the fair amount of books she had read in her lifetime.

But returning to topic, she was given a choice: Would she forgo her current relationship with Miyuki, her " _pretend girlfriend_ ", and forge a new one with Yutaka who would become her _actual_ girlfriend, or remain with Miyuki, whom she was already comfortable with and cared for deeply? When that choice was given, she had chosen the latter option, and chose to stay with Miyuki.

Miyuki, however, was not very pleased with that development. The pinkette frowned and sighed. "Minami, do you know why I am upset right now?" Minami shook her head. "Would you like to find out?" Minami nodded. "Very well…"

Miyuki put her glasses back on and began to explain her reasons for being displeased. Said reasons in turn displeased Minami.

"You need to leave your comfort zone, Minami. You can't just settle for me. I won't be with you forever…"

Minami couldn't deny that what she said was true. Indeed, Miyuki was two years ahead of the mint haired girl and would soon be going off to college, leaving Minami behind. It was not unlike what happened two years prior, when the pinkette advanced from middle school and into highschool. At that time, Minami had felt like she had lost her one and only friend.

But now was different. She had others she could rely on. She had grown a lot since middle school. She was never helpless when alone and now even less so. Yet the very thought of Miyuki leaving her left her paralyzed.

"…You said you'd always be here. That I'm special to you…" Minami muttered quietly.

Her mind flashed back to one midsummer night, nearly two years day her perceived feelings of attractions were met and returned with a feeling of equal force from none other than Miyuki herself. The day she and Miyuki became a couple.

"I'll be there, you said…" Minami whispered. "You'll always be special to me, Minami, you said…"

Minami believed those words. Words whispered lovingly into her ear not unlike the way she whispered it to herself. Except, at the time, those words made Minami smile – and perhaps they were even true. Now? Those words hurt. They hurt so very much.

"…Strange…" Minami started at her hand as she periodically clenched and opened it. "I feel numb…"

"I…" Miyuki watched closely as the mint haired girl looked at her hands with wide eyes, as if they weren't even her own. She looked pained – pained enough that Miyuki could even feel it herself. "…Minami… I'm sorry… I didn't mean to hurt you…"

"… I did not expect that I could ever feel this way… I…" She trailed off.

Minami's eyes grew clouded for a few seconds before shaperning once more. She looked at Miyuki intensely. "Do you think I actually do have romantic feelings for you…?" When Miyuki only blinked in confusion, Minami continued. "I believed that we have a special bond and I thought that if I dated you, I could preserve that bond… maybe it grew into something else…? Is it still growing?"

Miyuki looked at her thoughtfully. "I can't answer that for you, Minami…" She said finally. "I understand your feelings about as much as you do, perhaps less so. That said, I don't understand very much. I'm flattered that you'd rather have me – that you'd rather stay with me – but you have to understand how hurt Yutaka must be from what you've done…"

"She seemed fine to me…" Minami muttered.

"How sure are you?" Miyuki asked. "Yutaka never had a reason to hide what she really felt until now. For all we know, she's just holding it all in for when she gets home."

"I…" _She's right…_ Minami realized. _I did not mean to do that but I may have inadvertently hurt her…_

"Don't be so down, Minami. It was not your intention and I'm sure Yutaka realizes that. Just make sure to apologize."

Minami nodded. She could do little else. Guilt seemed to be eating at her faster than she'd ever though possible. And she was also quite confused. What was she to do _after_ she apologized? Would she remain friends with Yutaka or would she forgo her relationship with Miyuki in favor of one with the red head? She didn't know, and the answer did not come before they were called for dinner.

**LUCKY STAR**

Konata arrived home quite happy with how the day went. Sure, she may have accidentally created a rift between Kagami and herself but she'd do everything in her power to bridge that gap after she got Kusakabe with her.

Still, there were certain details she didn't quite understand. Namely, how the brunette seemed to be throwing herself at Konata. The thought occurred to her that maybe Misao really _had_ fallen for her – a thought she quickly crushed like an insignificant fly. That would be crazy. Misao was just messing with her.

Of course, as she pouted at her computer screen, she couldn't help but imagine the scenario in her head.

She and Misao actually being lovers. The idea was at least _somewhat_ appealing, though not much. From all the dating sims she's played, the genki-girl character was perhaps her least favorite of the normally six possible heroines to choose from. She had more of an affinity for tsunderes – perhaps explaining her weird fascination with Kagami who simply oozed tsundere. Misao on the other hand, she found more than a little bit annoying. With prolonged exposure, she'd probably be as cold to the brunette as a type A tsundere is to her love interest. Still, going out with her would definitely be an experience – whether it'd be an enjoyable one was still up for debate.

_Whatever. We'll iron things out this Friday. I can think about it then. For now, I have a raid with Ms. Kuroi tonight. Let's hope teach brought her A-game this time. I don't want a repeat of last weekend's disaster…_

**LUCKY STAR**

"So, how are you, Onee-chan?" Tsukasa asked as she entered Kagami's room for the third time that night.

Said sister was lying belly down on her bed, face buried on a pillow. The scene was somewhat amusing, despite how much Tsukasa could tell Kagami was feeling bad. And in hindsight, this whole spiel would probably be something they'd laugh about in a few months. By then, she'd probably have gotten used to Konata and Misao dating.

Speaking of which, those two certainly surprised Tsukasa. She didn't really understand how two girls can be in a relationship like that – she barely understood how a guy and a girl could be in relationship – but she was happy for them. They at least looked like they were really into the whole thing, though their enthusiasm seemed too competitive to be fit the situation. But who knew, maybe they'd end up staying together?

Looking back to Kagami, she was still lying down. She hadn't moved an inch, something Tsukasa was somewhat worried about. Tsukasa had tried sleeping lying face down before and it was not an experience she would consider to be an enjoyable one. Could she breathe through that pillow? Tsukasa wasn't able to breathe when she tried it once. She made it a point to ask her. When Kagami answered yes, relief washed over her.

_Thank goodness._ She thought.

"Sis, how do you feel about Misao and Kagami dating?" Tsukasa asked curiously.

Kagami rolled over and sat up in what seemed to be an uncannily realistic portrayal of a vampire waking up from her millennial slumber. She turned to face Tsukasa, maintaining unblinking eye contact for the span of twelve seconds. The younger twin would have been unsettled were it not for the fact that Kagami's cheeks were growing redder as time passed, finally reaching maximum blush when she blinked and looked away. Tsukasa had to resist the urge to giggle at how cute it was.

"I don't like it at all!" Kagami declared, crossing her arms and closing her eyes, looking much like a child who did not get what they wanted.

"Aw. Why not?" Tsukasa asked with a curious tilt of her head.

"Just… They're both girls, you know?"

Tsukasa blinked. "Okay?"

Kagami stared at Tsukasa for a good second before narrowing her eyes skeptically. "You have no idea what I'm talking about, do you?" she asked dryly.

The younger twin smiled apologetically, shaking her head nervously in an implied plea for an explanation. Truly, Tsukasa had no idea. What was the deal with two girls dating? It was not something taught at school nor at home. Why did people assume that she knew just what they were talking about?

Kagami sighed. "Alright. You know how people tell you not to do anything even if you don't see what's wrong?"

Tsukasa nodded. Yes, there were a lot of things she did not understand, and when she asked about it, the answer she was given was that she'd understand when she was older. Those answers were all incorrect. Now that she was older, those very same things were _still_ things she did not understand. In fact, she understood _less_ than she did before. She eventually grew to question why people _continued_ saying she'd understand when she was older even though she obviously knew she _wouldn't_.

"Well, that's the same for girls… who love other girls. Most people don't like it and some even hate it. It makes being someone like… that… very dangerous. People might think things." Kagami explained, puzzlingly explaining nothing and only making it more confusing

"So… Girls loving girls is something forbidden because people might think bad about them?" Tsukasa asked, trying to put into words what she had garnered from Kagami's statement. "Why do they matter?"

"They matter because there are more of them than people who are okay with stuff like that. They make life really hard for people who are like that." Kagami frowned. "Wow, this talk took a real turn for the depressing…" She muttered.

Tsukasa started to comprehend why girls loving girls was frowned upon: because everyone was doing it. It made a surprising amount of sense. She knew what it was like to have an opinion that went against the majority. Hers would be overruled and, in time, she'd end up subconsciously adopting the majority opinion, whether she wanted to or not. If the majority opinion for girls loving other girls was negative, then it wasn't hard to imagine everyone being hateful to them for no reason. It was because that's what ended up becoming the norm.

That said, Kagami's reason for being against Konata and Misao didn't seem to be because she agreed with majority opinion on relationships with two girls. Rather it seemed that she was against it because she didn't want the two to get hurt because of people who _did_ agree with the majority.

Tsukasa smiled. "Wow sis, you must really care about Konata and Misao. I think it's so sweet that you're worried about them"

"I…"

Tsukasa looked at her sister with curious eyes.

"...y-yeah… let's go with that…"

With an even curiouser turn of her head, Tsukasa nodded thoughtfully. She felt that Kagami was lying so there was probably another reason for her not liking Misao and Konata's relationship. Probably something much simpler than the conclusion she ended up with. Jealousy, maybe? She shrugged. Who knew? Tsukasa sure didn't. At least she knew it wasn't because she was against girls loving other girls. Speaking of which.

"Hey, sis. Is there are shorter word for it?" When Kagami shot her a questioning look, Tsukasa explained. "Girls loving girls. Is there a word for it?"

"Oh. Well, there's _lesbian_ , which is the word for a girl who likes other girls. _Gay_ , which is the word for guys who like other guys but it can also be used for girls. And… Um…" Kagami snapped her fingers a few times, trying to remember the word. "I think it was called… _homosexual_ …" She said, the foreign sounding word echoing in Tsukasa's mind. "which is everyone who likes the same gender"

Tsukasa tilted her head, deep in thought. Again, it was something she didn't quite understand, but at least it was _somewhat_ clearer. It was a lot better than what she normally got. It made Tsukasa quite happy that Kagami was willing to talk her through things she didn't get.

Eventually, her thoughts faded to nothing, leaving the two in an uncomfortable silence. They were then saved when their mother called them down for dinner. The two left the room, relieved.

**LUCKY STAR**

The more Misao thought about it, the surer she became. She was definitely developing feelings for the small fry whom she was to date on the upcoming Friday. That said, it was convenient that they were already together, else she might have had the same kind of trouble she had with Kagami. Though it was a bit weird considering how willing the bluenette seemed to be about the whole thing. She was planning something and whatever it was, Misao had a bad feeling about it.

But she put all those thoughts aside. She was about to have dinner and was likely to freak out her folks if she was once again distracted from her food. The awkward silence that permeated the room on the evening prior was something she wasn't keen on experiencing again – regardless of how much more food was left for her consumption when everyone decided they were finished.

And so, when she sat at the dinner table and the four Kusakabes began eating, the youngest at with as much gusto as she usually did. Everything was going the way people expected it to. Right until grandpa Kusakabe decided to strike up a conversation. The topic certainly came from out of the blue. It was _not_ something Misao expected.

"So… uh… How did your day go…?" He asked awkwardly. "That kid you liked. You talk to her yet?"

Masaru raised an eyebrow at his attempt but said nothing. Misao on the other hand just looked at him in utter bafflement. The old man didn't seem all that angry at her anymore. It was a good thing but considering how he was the previous night, it left Misao with a very weird taste in her mouth upon answering his question.

"We're having a date on Friday."

The man winced. "Well… okay…" He whispered something to himself, shaking his head before returning to his meal.

Misao eyed her grandfather skeptically. What was the old man thinking? Obviously he wasn't pleased by what he heard. Perhaps he was hoping that Konata would turn her down? Well, considering the way he was acting last night, he was probably against her dating at all – even more so if it was with another girl. Still, if he was willing to ask about it, he must at least care about how she felt… right?

Okay, maybe it was just Misao rationalizing it. Hey, she wanted to believe that her grandfather just wanted to make sure she was happy with who she was with. Nothing wrong with that, right? As long as he didn't start beating her with a stick and forcing her to sleep outside, she'd be completely okay with looking at her grandpa and seeing him and good light.

Of course, it's not to say they were completely fine with it. Her grandfather might be willing to talk about it, but her grandmother sure wasn't. She quickly picked up her plate and moved to the kitchen at the mere mention of " _that girl she liked_ ".

Misao shrugged. _Well, you win some, you lose some._ She continued eating her meal

**LUCKY STAR**


	5. Breakfast

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another night has gone by and sleeping through it has not helped in the slightest. At least have some breakfast before going about your day.
> 
> Enjoy if you can. Else, I apologize.

**LUCKY STAR**

Konata awoke that morning feeling more than a little irritable. Sleep did not come to her easily that night. Thus, when dawn broke and her alarm sounded, full able-bodied consciousness was similarly difficult to achieve. Not that she wasn't trying - she was trying very hard, in fact. Despite the severe headache she was having, she was already somewhat lucid. She was lucid for quite some time, actually. But regardless of that fact, she couldn't move. Her body felt unnaturally heavy - like her blanket was a mass of cement poured on her that hardened overnight. She couldn't get up and the more she tried, the harder it seemed. Only when she fell off the bed in her attempts did she gain some semblance of strength in her limbs. Along with that, she also got quite a bruise on her shoulder that felt just as numb as her aching mind. It wasn't hard to understand why she felt so irritable.

"Oooww..." Konata groaned under her breath, still struggling to get up. "I really shouldn't have left the door open when I was sleeping last night..." She muttered, feeling a sudden chill down her spine when her blanket fell off her back.

With some effort, she stood and hobbled to the bathroom, hoping a splash of water on her face was enough to snap her out of it. Unfortunately, it wasn't. It actually made her headache worse. So worse that she actually yelped in pain.

Yutaka came running into the bathroom. "What's wrong?" she asked with a sense of urgency in her voice. Upon seeing Konata staring back at her, wide eyed and shaking, she quickly came to the correct assumption that Konata had been jolted into complete wakefulness by the ice cold water. "Are you okay?"

"Tell me, Yutaka," Konata began, her voice hollow and shaken, "why is it so cold?"

The question came with an answer of note. The reason it was of note was because she did not understand the answer at all. In which case the answer was completely irrelevant. Thus the answer was of note because it was of no note at all. This paradox of cause and effect seemed to fascinate Konata so much that she even forgot the answer altogether.

"Uhh, are you okay?" Yutaka asked, snapping Konata out of her stupor. "You were staring blankly into space for a while. Is something wrong?"

Deciding that Yutaka didn't need to know about the internal musings of a half conscious mind whose other half is still in the temporary oblivion known as the dream world, Konata merely shook her head.

"What day is it again? I'm just a little out of it."

Yutaka thought for a bit before answering. "October 17, I think. It's a Wednesday."

Konata nodded, remembering. Only two more days until she'd be having that date with Misao. Of course that was just pretense. The moment they were alone with each other, Konata would immediately tell her the real reason for them dating in the first place. There's a chance that Misao had already figured it out but Konata wasn't counting on it. Misao wasn't the sharpest tool in the shed and it was very likely that she'd taken Konata seriously about the entire date situation. It'd be best if Konata told her outright what was really going on so there would be no need for further clarification.

Once that was over and done with, all that remained was getting her together with Kagami. That was not an easy task, Konata was aware, but that was the broad strokes of her plan. She could deal with the finer details when she and Misao got to planning.

"Konata!"

Konata jumped. "Holy Haruhi, Yutaka! _Don't do that!_ "

Yutaka shrunk back. "Sorry," she muttered quietly. "You were spacing out again..."

Konata blinked before looking away guiltily. That wasn't exactly nice of her was it? She should apologize. "Sorry," Konata said. "I was just lost in thought. Didn't mean to snap at you."

Yutaka slowly nodded. "I'm sorry too. I didn't mean to surprise you. I was just worried."

Konata cursed inside. She normally went on autopilot whenever she had deep internal musings. The problem is that normally, she was doing something when she went on autopilot - not just sitting there doing nothing. She'd better be more careful to not weird others out.

She forced out a smile, looking more like a wince at best. "Well, I'm awake now. Might as well make breakfast, eh?" She suggested.

Personally, when she first awoke, she had no intention of making breakfast for _herself_. She almost never at breakfast. At most, she'd have two pieces of toast - one eaten at home and another eaten as she ran out of the house because she was going to be late. Then again, she was almost never woke up when Yutaka was still around. Usually her cousin had already left for school by the time Konata woke up. Thus, the two of them went down to have some breakfast.

**LUCKY STAR**

Yutaka sat quietly at her place on the kitchen table, twiddling her fingers as she waited for the food to be ready. The hissing and smell of whatever was on the frying pan suggested something delicious. Knowing Konata, it was more than likely for that to be the case.

"Hey, check the rice cooker if it's done making the rice," Konata ordered, not looking away from her cooking.

Yutaka glanced at the rice cooker on the table, finding that it was facing away from her. She stood and walked over to the side of the rice cooker that had the switch on it. Said switch was no longer flipped and the little light in the center had changed from red to green. Just to be sure, she lifted the lid just enough to peek into what's inside. Unfortunately, her vision was blocked with steam so she was forced to fully remove the lid. The was greeted with a soft mass of white literally steaming with freshness. She smiled. "It's ready."

"Good," Konata replied, her words punctuated by click of the stove being turned off. "Get the lunch boxes from the cupboard. This'll also be our lunch since I forgot to make some last night. I'll set the table."

After a few more minutes of preparation, the two sat next to each other, eating a nicely seasoned omelette with rice. And Yutaka's earlier assumption was confirmed as she took her first bite - the food was, indeed, delicious. There was, however, an unexpected amount of flavor in just one mouthful - arguably too much. She had to pause after she swallowed to even understand what she just tasted.

Konata looked up from her meal and smirked. "How was it? Think I used too much seasoning?"

Yutaka managed an awkward smile. "It's a little strong."

The older girl laughed at her answer. "Thought you'd say that. I stopped making omelettes like this when you started living here. Figured you might not like them."

"Well, it's not that I _don't_ like them. It was just a little... sudden..." Yutaka frowned and stared at her food. "Yeah," she muttered. "Sudden is the right word..."

"Something wrong? That frown's ruining your cute face." Jokes aside, Konata sounded quite worried.

Should Yutaka tell her? To be fair, she'd find out about it sooner or later. Yutaka certainly wasn't one capable of hiding things that bothered her. Might as well spit it out and get it over with, right? Besides, Konata's concern was more than enough reason to talk. She cared enough to ask, after all.

Yutaka swallowed. How would she go about telling her though? All those flash backs to the events of the previous day have done nothing to help her understand her situation, much less explain it. But she might as well try, though she's still quite unsure of herself.

"Well... you know I really like Minami right...?" Konata hummed in confirmation. "I... I kinda confessed to her a few days ago..."

Konata raised an eyebrow. Yutaka was somewhat surprised that she didn't break out in cheers from enthusiasm. For the longest time, she had been the one encouraging Yutaka to pursue Minami, albeit in a roundabout way. One would normally assume that finding out about such a big event would incur a bigger reaction from the blue haired otaku.

Konata nodded slowly. "It was just a little sudden," she repeated, staring at Yutaka was intense analytical eyes. "Caught her off guard, didn't you?" she asked slowly. "And she didn't react the way you wanted her to."

Yutaka's eyes slowly teared up as Konata spoke. Her older cousin was correct in her assumptions. And upon hearing it said aloud... it didn't quite occur to her how much it hurt. The very thought made her want to collapse into a sobbing mess.

Konata leaned forward, tapping Yutaka's nose lightly. "Hey, stay with me," she said calmly. "Take a deep breath." Yutaka gasped, moments short of breaking. Konata pulled her into a hug. "Now, let it all out..."

Without even meaning to, Yutaka returned the hug, tightening her hold until her face was buried in Konata's shoulder. She knew it was coming. And all attempts to keep it in were useless as it became too much to bear. Holding on until the very end, she broke and began bawling.

The rush of emotion she experienced was one she couldn't quite explain. The pain and sadness she felt in that moment overshadowed her every thought. A torrential flood bore down on her until her very being was stripped of everything until that one memory - that one painful memory - was all she had left. Looking back, the emotions she felt were far more extreme than she thought justified. But up until that last tear dropped, she had no reason to feel otherwise.

Even after Yutaka stopped crying, she kept a tight hold on her older cousin. The warmth felt cozy and welcoming and did well in helping her recover from that sudden outburst.

"Feel better?" Konata asked as Yutaka's grip loosened.

"Yeah," Yutaka answered weakly, fully releasing Konata from her hold.

"Do you think Minami will hate you for this?"

Yutaka wanted to speak but she couldn't find her voice. She gave up and simply shook her head.

"Will you still be able to be friends with her even if she doesn't like you back?"

A flash of dread casted shadows over her heart as she thought on her answer. Was she that kind of person? Was she a girl who lost the ability to be friends with someone due to mere rejection? This was the first time this had ever happened. How could she possibly know?

"You don't have to answer right now. Just try to stay calm, okay? You'll get through this." Konata put a hand on Yutaka's shoulder. "If anything happens, you know where to find me. Just come to me and I'll be there for you."

Yutaka managed a small smile. Konata's gesture of kindness gave her an immediate sense of safety and comfort. A very motherly feeling, strangely enough. It was something she didn't really associate with Konata's personality. And yet it seemed to fit so well.

"Th-thanks."

Konata smiled softly. "Don't mention it." She tapped Yutaka's cheek playfully. "Now let's finish breakfast, shall we? We can't exactly run outside with an omelette with a side of rice hanging from our mouths. Just doesn't work as well as a piece of toast."

Yutaka giggled and began eating. It didn't taste nearly as strong as she remembered it being. Maybe she just got used to it.

**LUCKY STAR**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was debating whether or not to release just this as the chapter or finish the mornings of the other characters and release one big chapter with all of them. All the other scenes are half done and this is the only one that's been finished. Pitiful progress for over a year of production but still.
> 
> So, it's been a year. The writing style in this story is so different from what my current writing style is right now that I was kinda reluctant to continue this story. Then again, I still have ideas for this and I'm not willing to rewrite the first four chapters of this story.
> 
> In any case, that was a short, somewhat emotional chapter.
> 
> Konata's state of mind during this chapter was more akin to my own state of mind last year, when I wrote the first several lines. That is to say: restless and always thinking. Suffice it to say, I've remained pretty much the same so continuing on from that point after so long was not very difficult.
> 
> I tried to give Yutaka's little outburst a detached feeling - as if she were and onlooker who didn't quite understand what she was so upset. Personally, that's happened a number of times to me, where I feel irrational anger and sadness over things that I normally wouldn't care about. Yutaka being upset, of course, is perfectly reasonable - even being as upset as she were. I was just trying to making it so that she didn't think it was reasonable.
> 
> For what it's worth, this story is still one I want to continue. I've got some good points and concepts I want to explore in a story with these characters and this is the only story I already have where it'll work.  
> Until next chapter.


End file.
